ETA for visa-free travellers to Thailand

ETA for visa-free travellers to Thailand

Thailand is set to introduce Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for all visa-free travellers. Earlier in the year it expanded visa-free entry to visitors from more countries and also doubled, to sixty days, the length of time that visa-free visitors could stay within the country. Now it is planning to roll out an ETA system to improve the efficiency of screening, and of tracking of those visitors once in the country.

Registration is free but all visitors, whether arriving by air, sea, or land, enjoying visa-free entry must complete the ETA application and receive approval before entering the country. Confirmation is expected to take about one hour. Once approved the ETA will allow the use of automated gates at immigration checkpoints, thus speeding the process substantially. For anyone who has stood in line at Suvarnabhumi of Don Mueang airports for over an hour will see the benefit of this.

The system will be powered by AI. The algorithm will automatically carry out the functions normally performed by immigration officers, such as checking for records of overstays or prior criminal activity.

Getting your ETA

Application should be made prior to departure through the Thai e-Visa portal. Travellers will be required to fill out an electronic form submitting proof of a valid passport, travel tickets into and out of the country, accommodation address, and funds to support the traveller’s stay (10,000 THB for single travellers and 20,000 THB per family). This process must be completed for every entry into Thailand.

If a visitor fails to secure ETA registration, they may be stopped by their airline before boarding or stopped at the border if they have already arrived in Thailand. In both cases, they would be given an opportunity to complete the process before continuing their trip

Holders of diplomatic and other official passports such as the UN Laissez-Passer, and Border Pass users will not need the ETA.

The system is scheduled to go online in December and to be fully implemented by the middle of 2025 and is based on systems used in other countries such as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System.

Picture: Tourists at the popular Chatuchak weekend market

Thai e-Visa Portal

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